Photodynamic therapy (PDT), photodynamic diagnosis (PD), or photochemotherapy is generally used to treat and/or diagnose several types of ailments in or near the skin or other tissues, such as those in a body cavity. For example, PDT or PD may be used for treatment or diagnosis of actinic keratosis of the scalp or facial areas of a patient. In addition, PDT and PD may be used for treatment and diagnosis of other indications (e.g., acne, warts, psoriasis, photo-damaged skin, and cancer) and other areas of the patient (e.g., arms and legs).
During one form of PDT or PD, a patient is first administered a photoactivatable agent or a precursor of a photoactivatable agent that accumulates in the tissue to be treated or diagnosed. The agent or precursor may be administered to treat dermatological conditions, for example. The area in which the photoactivatable agent is administered is then exposed to visible light, which causes chemical and/or biological changes in the agent. These changes allow the agent to then selectively locate, destroy, or alter the target tissue while, at the same time, causing only mild and reversible damage to other tissues in the treatment area. One example of a precursor of a photoactivatable agent is 5-aminolevulinic acid (“ALA”), which is commonly used in PDT of actinic keratosis. As used here, the terms ALA or 5-aminolevulinic acid refer to ALA itself, precursors thereof and pharmaceutically acceptable salts of the same.
For effective treatment, it is desirable to have a power output that is uniform in intensity and color. Illuminators, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,758,418; 8,216,289; 8,030,836; 7,723,910; 7,190,109; 6,709,446; and 6,223,071, which are incorporated by reference in their entireties for the techniques, methods, compositions, and devices related to PDT and PD, are typically used to provide the proper uniformity of light for treatment purposes. These devices generally include a light source (e.g., a fluorescent tube), coupling elements that direct, filter or otherwise conduct emitted light so that it arrives at its intended target in a usable form, and a control system that starts and stops the production of light when necessary.